


Closure

by sidewinder



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Angst, Emotional Constipation, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-21
Updated: 2016-08-21
Packaged: 2018-08-09 03:58:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7785877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sidewinder/pseuds/sidewinder
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>George seeks out Elliot one last time before leaving for Oklahoma City.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Closure

**Author's Note:**

  * For [GreenPhoenix](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GreenPhoenix/gifts).



_Why am I doing this to myself?_

George sat in his car, where it was parked in the beach house driveway, doubting his decision to come here and wondering why on Earth he’d thought it a good idea. Tomorrow he’d be packing his last few boxes of belongings into the back of this car and heading off to Oklahoma City, to start the next chapter in his career.

Oklahoma. Of all places.

His new assignment came with a nice pay raise, especially considering the lower cost of living in the midwest. But he wasn’t looking forward to giving up the life and more liberal culture of New York. Neither was he enthusiastic about losing touch with his friends here, and his coworkers both at the FBI and at SVU.

He particularly regretted moving away from the individual he’d come here seeking today. But then, _this_ person had walked away from George, from everyone and everything, some time ago on his own.

 _So why am I here?_ George wondered, even though he was self-aware enough to know the answer.

Closure _._ This was about closure, and finally saying goodbye like he’d not had the chance to until now.

George sighed and got out of the car at last, stretching and enjoying the cooler breezes here near the water. He’d gotten this address from Kathy, when he’d first gone to Elliot’s old home in Queens. That had been the only address he had for the Stablers, from days past when Elliot and Kathy had been separated.

George had spent many nights at that house during those months.

 _“Elliot’s not here. He’s out at his mother’s place,”_ Kathy had told him, earlier today when he’d driven by.

_“I see.”_

_“He’s been there for the last few months.”_ At George’s questioning look, she’d added, _“we’re separated again. This time it’s for good.”_

She hadn’t explained further and had barely come short of slamming the door in his face. George wondered if she knew. If she had always known. Or maybe it had just proven impossible to rebuild that which had already been broken long ago.

Closure. Sometimes you could fight it but the best thing to do was let go and move on.

George walked to the front door and rang the bell. No one answered. He tried knocking, in case it was broken, but still no response. And yet he saw a car parked in the open garage, so it appeared someone had to be at home. He went around to the side of the house facing the beach and that was when he finally spotted Elliot, casting a fishing pole out into the waters. George stood at the top of the dunes and watched him, for a while, knowing this might be his last chance to see Elliot for a long time. Maybe even forever.

Elliot eventually turned partway around to reach for a beer he had propped on top of his cooler. That’s when he noticed George. He looked surprised and confused to see him, but not unwelcoming. He set his fishing rod up in a beach stand and slowly walked toward the waiting man.

“George, what are you doing here?”

“I could ask you the same thing. But your wife filled me in on…some of the details. But not very many. I can take an educated guess on the rest, however.”

Elliot crossed his arms over his chest, striking a slightly defensive pose. He still looked good, George thought, if perhaps a little soft around the middle. Retirement obviously meant not having to stay in top fighting form any longer. And living alone would equate to more take-out and diner meals over Kathy’s home cooking.

Elliot didn’t answer, so after a short pause George continued, “No one at the precinct has heard from you since you went on leave, after the shooting.”

“You mean after I killed a young girl.”

“You did what you had to, to save other lives.” The guilt still eating at Elliot was obvious to George, who could read the man’s expressions like a book. But that didn’t give him the answers to everything. “Olivia told me you put in your retirement papers…but she had to hear it from the captain. Why won’t you talk to her, Elliot? She was your partner, for so many years.”

“Because she’s better off forgetting about me.”

“Maybe that’s something you should let Olivia decide for herself?”

“Why exactly are you here, again? Did Olivia, or John or Fin, did they put you up to this?”

George sighed. Elliot’s stubborn nature could be a frustration to deal with at the best of times. He supposed the only thing he could do was cut to the chase. “I’ve taken a new assignment with the FBI. I’m leaving tomorrow for Oklahoma City. After all these years…I just wanted to say goodbye.” He reached into his wallet and took out one of his already updated business cards. “This is my new work address and contact information…my home address and private cell is on the back. In case you ever…well.”

Elliot took the card, looked it over thoughtfully before slipping it into his shirt pocket. “Thanks.”

The awkward moment drew out, and George was ready to leave before it grew any more uncomfortable. “Anyway—” he started, just as Elliot said “You want to—”

A pause and they shared a small laugh. “Do you need to leave right away,” Elliot tried again, “or you want to…stay for a little while? Got a few fish in the cooler I should get to cleaning, could throw on the grill.”

“Sure. I can stay.” He was in no hurry at all. He knew Elliot wouldn’t ask him for more than dinner company, not directly, anyway.

He ended up staying well past dinner. They talked of everything but work, Elliot explaining how his mother had gone to live with his younger sister now that she was becoming too unstable to live on her own. His siblings wanted to sell this house, but Elliot was thinking of buying it from her and moving in permanently, “once the divorce is final”. And that was the sum of what he cared to say on that matter as well.

They talked over current events in the news, disagreeing as they almost always did over politics but the conversation never turned into more than a friendly debate. George prepared a simple side dish of rice and what vegetables he found in the fridge while Elliot tended to the fish on the grill. It was about as close to “domestic” as they had ever been, and a part of George sadly wished they’d had more chances to be like this.

If he’d come out here sooner to see Elliot, maybe he would have stayed. Turned down the job.

Maybe.

Elliot would need to ask him to do that, and he was sure that Elliot never would.

They were perhaps unlikely friends. The other aspects of their relationship were surely even more unlikely. But George still felt the attraction that had been there since the first day he had met Elliot, one which he hadn’t expected to ever be returned. But it had been returned—in time, at the right time—when Elliot had needed him. Tonight he could sense that need still there.

The dinner dishes were stacked in the sink and George was about to begin on them when he suddenly felt Elliot’s strong arms around him. He knew this moment was coming and he’d yearned for it, waited for it all night. Waited for it for months leading up to this. He turned in Elliot’s embrace and soon his lips were claimed for a kiss, hard and needy, desperate. He responded with equal fervor, and soon dishes were forgotten as he let Elliot lead him into the bedroom.

Hours later and George found himself sitting up in bed, physically sated but emotionally in as much turmoil as ever. Elliot slept soundly, the way he said he only slept after one of their lovemaking sessions. That was about as romantic as Elliot ever got, which was confirmation as to why George needed to leave, not even stay to the morning.

He loved Elliot and was fairly certain, somewhere deep in there behind the macho posturing and Catholic guilt, Elliot loved him, too. But Elliot would never admit to it, not ever. Not even now, when he had already lost his family, his job, and George was about to walk out the door one last time.

 _Closure_ , he thought again as he quietly slipped out of bed and started looking for his clothes. He had it now, as much as he was ever going to. The next time around, Elliot would have to reach out to him if he really desired more. He wondered if the man ever would get past his fears and do so.

Until then, George had nothing left to give him.

 


End file.
